Mars Transit in Ashlesha

Ashlesha is Mercury's nakshatra, with the Nagas as its deities and a coiled serpent as its symbol. It lies in the last third of Cancer. Parashara places the deepest point of Mars's debility at the twenty-eighth degree, inside this nakshatra, and Mars counts Mercury an enemy. Nothing here supports the graha.

The stay lasts a little under four weeks, and around a month and a half when a retrograde falls on it. Poison and medicine, cunning, hidden enemies, kundalini and power coiled until provoked are Ashlesha's themes. Mars provokes. Secrets come out, and quiet resentments turn into open disputes.

Digestion, the stomach and toxicity in the blood are the health matters, with bites, stings and food poisoning as the classical warnings. Anger here runs cold and calculated, which does the most damage.

From the Moon, Taurus, Aquarius and Virgo have Mars in the third, sixth and eleventh houses. Phaladeepika lists these as Mars's favourable transit places, and the same count applies from the lagna. Cancer Moons feel the debilitated graha on the self and should rest more. Aries, Capricorn and Sagittarius Moons, with Mars in the fourth, seventh and eighth, should avoid confrontation and keep to known food.

Mars in Ashlesha brings up what a person does with a hidden grievance, and watching that in oneself is the main use of the period. Neecha bhanga through a strong Moon or Jupiter turns a hard transit into a useful one.

Offer milk to the Nagas, as on Nag Panchami, and worship Hanuman on Tuesday. Recite Om Angarakaya Namah in the morning and give red lentils or copper, Parashara's dana for Mars. Speak plainly, and let no grievance stay unspoken for these weeks.